Critiiques of Religious Belief
Atheism: means literally "without/no God." However there are many reasons why people may hold an atheistic position. It should not be assumed all atheists have rejected belief in God for the same reason.
There is also a difference between strong and weak atheistic positions. Weak: simply scepticism about the existence of god. Strong: explicitly held belief that God does not exist.
- There is no such being to whom the description "God" can be given.
- So-called experiences of the divine can be accounted for without reference to God.
- Apparently contradictory states of affairs in the world, such as evil and suffering, count against the existence of God.
- Believers in God are deluded or have been deluded by religious leaders.
- A dislike or distrust of organised religion.
- A hatred of religious beliefs and believers.
- Belief in God only serves as a crutch.
Agnostic: holds that it is not possible to know whether God exists, or to know his nature.
The term was coined in the 19th century by Thomas Huxley as the opposite of Gnostic. (I hope you know who the Gnostics were.)
Agnosticism is essentially concerned with the problem of what we can know.
- David Hume- pointed out that it was only knowledge of regular sequences and connections that we could observe and it did not imply knowledge of cause, powers, natures, essences or purposes.