Comparative Religions

Lecture 4
Atheism: A World Without God

Freidrich Nietzsche in __________________________________writes:
•	“Where is God gone?” he called out. “I mean to tell you! We have __________________________________him – you and I! We are all his murderers! … Do we not hear the noise of the grave diggers who are __________________________________God? … God is dead!  God remains dead!” 

Not All Atheists Are As Militant
•	But many are just as emphatic about the non existence of God. __________________________________wrote “Nowadays, in our evolutionary conception of the universe, there is absolutely no room for either a creator or a ruler.” quoted in “Marx and __________________________________on Religion” edited by Rienhold Neibuhr.

Polytheism
•	Dominated much of the __________________________________thought, theism dominated the Judeo-Christian view; atheism has had its day in recent times.  Not all prefer to wear the title “atheist”. Some prefer the notion of “__________________________________”.  Others are “materialists”.  Many are nontheists and most are antitheistic.

In Contrast
•	To the theist who believes God exists beyond and in the world, and a pantheist, who believes God is the world, the atheist believes there is __________________________________God either beyond or in the world. There is only a__________________________________, or a universe, and nothing more.

Don’t Confuse Atheism with Agnosticism
•	Technically there is a difference.  The skeptic or agnostic says, “I don’t or can’t __________________________________if there is a God.” The skeptic says, “I doubt that there is a God.” and the atheist says, “I know or at least claim that there is no God.” Much modern atheism rests upon the skepticism of David __________________________________and the agnosticism of Immanuel Kant.

 A Typology of Atheism
•	Atheism as a term can refer to many things.  There are several __________________________________of Atheism as well.

1. __________________________________Atheism
•	One kind of Atheism is called “Traditional Atheism”. It says that there __________________________________not and __________________________________and never will be a God.
•	Examples of this position are: Karl Marx and Jean-Paul Satre

2. __________________________________Atheism
•	These hold that the God-myth was once a live model by which men lived but has since died—killed by the progress of modern man’s __________________________________growth and the advancement of__________________________________.
•	Friedrich Nietzsche is one proponent of this view.

3. __________________________________Atheism
•	Ascribes to the idea that God was once alive and__________________________________, but God actually died in the event of the __________________________________and crucifixion Jesus Christ. 
•	Thomas J. J. Altizer is a proponent of this view. 

4. The __________________________________Atheist
•	These offer the notion that God talk is dead. The try to challenge the meaningfulness of __________________________________about God. These may not be actual atheists at all, for they can __________________________________the existence of God, and yet believe it is impossible to talk about him in meaningful terms.
•	Paul Van Buren is the representative for this group.

Other Possible Designations
•	Include __________________________________atheists (Satre), marxistic atheists (Marx) 
•	psychological atheists (Freud) 
•	capitalistic atheists (Ayn Rand) 
•	and 
•	__________________________________atheists (B. F. Skinner).

This Lecture: Philosophical Atheists
•	These are the atheists who give reasons for believing that no __________________________________exists in this world or in the world to come.  

Basic Tenants of Atheism
•	These prove to be largely negative when examined.  In reality, their arguments are nothing more than __________________________________responses to the arguments of theism. Their arguments fall into two broad categories: the arguments against __________________________________for God’s existence, and those against God’s existence.   

The Arguments Against Proofs of God
•	Rely heavily upon the thinking of David Hume and the agnosticism of Immanuel Kant.  

The Arguments Rejecting Theism’s Tenants
•	The traditional theistic arguments can be put into four main categories:
•	Cosmological
•	__________________________________
__________________________________
•	And moral

1. The Cosmological Argument
•	Posits that
•	1. Every effect has a cause
•	2. The universe is an __________________________________
•	3. Therefore, the universe has a cause.
•	Thomas __________________________________is the foremost proponent of this view.
 
2. The __________________________________Argument
•	Claims the following items:
•	1. Every design has a designer
•	2. The universe manifests a __________________________________
•	3. Therefore, the universe has a designer
•	William __________________________________first presented this argument in a forceful manner in 1743-1805.

3. The __________________________________Argument
•	Has been expressed in two differing ways: 

First
•	1. God is by definition an absolutely __________________________________being
•	2. An absolutely perfect being cannot lack anything.
•	3. But a being that exists has something that a being that does not exist lacks, namely, __________________________________.
•	4. Therefore, an absolutely perfect being must exist.

Second
•	1. God is by definition a necessary being.
•	2. But a necessary being __________________________________exist (otherwise, it would not be a necessary being.)
•	3. Therefore, a necessary being necessarily__________________________________.
•	St. Anselm (1033-1109) is credited with originating both the above views.

4. The Moral Argument
•	For God’s existence is popularly presented by__________________________________:
•	1. There are objective moral laws.
•	2. Moral laws come from a moral__________________________________.
•	3. Therefore, a moral lawgiver exists. 

A Summary of the Tenants of Atheism

Tenant 1: __________________________________Does Not Exist
•	There is no God; only the world exists and God is an invention of man. God did not created man, but __________________________________created__________________________________. One of the best reasons for believing that God did not create man is the existence of evil in the world.

Tenant 2: The World is __________________________________
•	It has always been. If the world is not eternal, then it came into existence out of nothing and by nothing. In the least, the universe was not created. It is self-sustaining and self-perpetuating. If asked “what caused the world,” the non theist would reply, “it was not caused, it is just__________________________________.” Only the parts need a cause, not the whole. If we need a cause for the universe, then we must ask for a cause for__________________________________.

Tenant 3: __________________________________Exists
•	Unlike pantheists who deny the reality of evil, atheists strongly affirm it. Atheists believe that __________________________________are inconsistent in trying to hold to both God and evil.

Tenant 4: Man  is __________________________________
•	Man is matter in motion. He has no immortal soul. There is no mind apart from man’s brain. Nor is there a __________________________________independent from man’s body. While not all atheists are strict materialists who identify the soul with the body, most do believe that if a man has a soul, then it is dependent on the body. The soul, in fact dies when the body dies. The soul and mind may be more than body, the way a shadow is more than a tree. But as the shadow of the tree ceases to exist when the tree dies, so too the soul does not survive the body’s death.

Tenant 4: Ethics are __________________________________
•	It is generally agreed among atheists that there are no moral absolutes. Certainly there are no __________________________________authorized moral absolutes. There may be some widely held and long-enduring values, but absolutely binding laws would seem to imply an absolute law giver and therefore these are to be denied.

Values
•	Cannot be __________________________________by men, they must be created by men. Many atheists suggest that these values are found by __________________________________and error. Often the right action is described by what will bring about the greatest good in the long run.  Some frankly acknowledge that the situation may determine what is right and what is wrong. Others speak about expedient behavior (what works) and some work out ethics based on self-interest. Man must determine his own values if there are to be any at all. 

Tenant 5: Man’s Destiny is __________________________________
•	Most atheists see no eternal destiny for individual persons. Some speak of the collective immortality of the human race. Many atheists believe in an earthly utopian existence in a paradise to come. B.F. Skinner posed a behavioral utopia. Karl Marx an economic utopia.  

Contributions of Atheism
•	1. The Presence of __________________________________
The pantheist ignore the problem and evil, but the atheist do not.  They point to the evil in the world that this world is not perfect.  They point to the inhumanity that exists and hold that if a __________________________________God existed and an all powerful God exited, then He should do something about it.

2. The Positive __________________________________Values
•	Many atheists are humanists and along with others hold to the value of human culture and man.  They earnestly pursue both the arts and sciences.  Many express deep concern for __________________________________issues.  Most atheists believe that racism, hatred and bigotry are wrong. Most commend tolerance and freedom.  

3. The Loyal Opposition to __________________________________
•	This helps those who hold to a theistic perspective to sharpen their own positions. It is difficult for one to see the problems in one’s world view if no one helps point them out.  They cause theists and others to __________________________________and consider their arguments along new lines. 

Criticism of Atheism
•	1. A finite cause needs an __________________________________cause.

2. The cause of the universe must be__________________________________.

3. The principle of __________________________________does not need to be proven

4. It does not have an actually __________________________________series of causes.