Introduction
Atheism entails the belief that there are no deities or supreme beings. It is the opposite of theism which is the belief in the existence of at least one Supreme Being or deity. In simple terms, it can be said to be the belief that there is no God or gods. Religion is a very broad and controversial aspect as it entails the inner belief in regard to the existence, nature and power of God.
Different people have different stands in relation to religion and what they believe in and hence the existence of a variety of religions all with different doctrines and beliefs. Christianity and Islam are the most common religions (Baggini 5). This paper discusses the various aspects associated with Atheism with much emphasis being on the negative side or why atheism is not right.
Variation in Atheism
Atheism is not very common or well known and has some variations for instance the strong, positive, critical and explicit atheism which refers to the individuals who assert the non existence of God positively.
Weak, negative or implicit atheism on the other hand involves the individuals who lack a belief in God basing their argument that the existence of God has not been proven to them and meaning that in the event of being proven they would change their mind. Militant atheism also known as antitheism constitute of atheists who view the belief in God to be wrong and superstitious hence find ways of doing away with it.
Some of the basic principles underlying the belief of atheism include; that there is neither the existence of God nor that of the devil, there is no sin that can be accrued to the violation of God’s will and teachings, there exist no supernatural realm, that the universe is generally materialistic and measurable and so should God be, that evolution is entirely scientific with no any spiritual aspect, that man is material and also that the idea of ethics and morals is relative and therefore should not be adhered to strictly among other life perceptions (Slick 1).
Critics of Atheism
Atheism is a concept that has received a lot of critics most of it being negative. People think that atheists not only believe in the absence of God but also that there is no morality; no meaning to life and also that there is no human goodness. This is however not true as some atheists only have a problem in the existence of God and other gods but are usually positive in regard to other aspects of life. Atheists’ belief of the nothingness of God is followed directly by the negative response of any transcendental (or supernatural) belief.
Some of the issues that the atheists differ with most of the other religions include, the belief in life after death, that there is no atonement, no resurrection, no deity, no virgin birth, no existence of miracles, the inexistence of immortal souls and supernatural powers, that man is not made in the image of God and ghosts among other aspects (Share faith 1).
There are different arguments that have been put forth in support of Atheism and also against it. The arguments against atheism try to explain or bring to our understanding the existence of God. Here is the supporting evidence that God exist hence the disqualification of the atheists’ belief. God is thereby viewed as the maker and designer of all the things (visible and invisible).
The argument of causality also proves the existence of God as the happenings of everything has to have a cause which is God. The ontological argument has also been put forth and explains that there is the existence of God in every individual’s mind including that of the atheists.
This alone shows that there is a cause and explains that there is a wonderful mind that is inspirational to the world. Argument on morality also tries to show god’s existence. It is usually natural to tend to do well and avoid evil and that explains why there exist laws and rules. The atheist view of morality is therefore incompatible with moral obligation pertaining to an individual’s life and hence it is wrong since moral obligation can not originate from the mind of a lay human being but rather from a supernatural being who is God.
Atheists are usually attached to logic, philosophy and empiricism especially when it comes to arguments which are not adequate as the disciplines contain only a small percentage of reality. Spirituality for instance is a very strong basis of arguments in terms of reality and the atheists only object it with the reason that it is irrelevant (Markham 13).
I consider atheism to be infeasible and always a negative position no matter the arguments put forth in its support. There are also no significant and sufficient proof or evidence that God does not exist. Other religions specifically Christianity have got viable and adequate justifications that God surely does exist for instance some biblical prophecies that have already been fulfilled or experienced, the resurrection of Jesus Christ among other practical evidences.
The atheists’ argument that God does not possess the omniscient, omnibenevolent and omnipotent qualities is an irrelevant argument since even if this was true, the absence of the qualities does not mean that He does not exist. The argument that if God exist he should be more involved in the human activities especially physically is also not viable as some things just exist irrespective of their visibility.
Good examples to back up this statement is the fact that air which we all breath cannot be either physically felt, seen through the eyes, heard, or even tasted and yet we all believe that it exists. The force of gravity, values, beliefs and even emotions are also other aspects that cannot be experienced through our senses and yet we all know that they exist. This therefore does not justify the atheists’ argument that the impossibility of experiencing God through the five senses means that God does not exist.
The reality part of it is that God is non material and supernatural and can be seen indirectly for instance through nature or creation, morality and conscience which is the sense of what is right or wrong and responsible for the control of a person’s thoughts specifically directing him or her towards doing the right thing as opposed to evil among other manifestations (Solomon and Higgins 67).
There are various reasons and benefits that can be linked in believing in the existence of God or a supreme being. For instance it helps people live positively bearing in mind that there is some rewards that await them in terms of life after death once they conquer or live in accordance to God’s will.
The belief that there is a powerful being who is in control of our lives is also a motivational factor that help individuals to be hopeful and have confidence in their undertakings having the belief that they are being protected at all times and that since we are a creation from God, He cannot forsake us.
It is also the belief that God exist that help people have a purpose in life in that God created us for a reason and that we should live to fulfill God’s purpose in our lives. This help individuals live in peace with one another and try as much as possible to avoid evil and do good making the world a better place as opposed to where people would not care for one another or mind the consequences of their actions.
Conclusion
Although every person has a right to believe in what he or she feels it is right, it is evident that the arguments given by the other religions, for example, the Christians in the support of the idea that God exists are far justifiable as compared to the arguments asserted by the atheists for their support of the idea that there is no existence of God or any other deity.
The Christian source of confidence, for instance, is the faith in God and the Holy bible with the combination of the practical things that happen and the manifestation of Jesus Christ and also the Holy Spirit.
Works Cited
Baggini, Julian. Atheism. New York: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., 2009.
Markham S. Ian. Against Atheism: Why Dawkins, Hitchens, and Harris Are Fundamentally Wrong. USA: Wiley and Sons, 2010.
Share faith. “Christian Arguments against Atheism”. Faith clipart, 2011. Mar 9 201. http://www.sharefaith.com/guide/christian-apologetics/christian-arguments-against-atheism.html
Slick, Matt. “What is atheism?” CARM. 2010. Mar 9 2011. https://carm.org/atheism/what-is-atheism
Solomon, Roberts and Higgins, Kathleen. The Big Questions: A Short Introduction to Philosophy.8th Ed. New York: Cengage Learning, 2009.