Best argument for Atheism in my view

[Peebothuhlu]

There are no arguments for atheism.  It is simply a lack of belief in a god.  Provide sufficient evidence for a god and I will have no choice but to believe it.

Have you discussed reasons for belief with Christians before? I suspect that, as a grownup who uses the Internet, you have heard any number of arguments Christians make for why (they think) God exists. 

And since you're an atheist, it seems that you have rejected all their arguments. 

To do that, I'm pretty sure you'd need reasons why you rejected their arguments. That is, you considered what they said, and decided it wasn't persuasive. 

Now, if you wanted to argue that you dismissed their arguments on a whim, for no reason at all, then I'd agree that there are no arguments for atheism. But I hope you don't do that. I suspect that in fact you have good reasons why you reject their arguments. 

So let's take a typical case. We've all heard the First Cause argument. Something like: "Every contingent thing depends for its existence on something else. To avoid infinite regress, we must assume that there is a non-contingent thing as first cause. This is what we call God." 

Please note: I am NOT saying that this is a good argument. I am NOT saying that you SHOULD accept it. I have NO interest in discussing the details of this argument. I am ONLY giving it as an example of something you have probably heard, and rejected. 

Now, there are any number of reasons for rejecting this First Cause argument. Perhaps you think that an infinite regress IS possible. Perhaps you think there may be a non-contingent cause, but it needn't be God. Perhaps you question whether every contingent thing really does depend on something else for its existence. These are all possible reasons -- but they are all REASONS. In other words, you reject the argument because you hold certain things to be true, or at least possible. You hear, consider, and reject the argument based on what you think about the world. 

So I think that for any thinking person -- grownup, not in a vegetative state, who has considered the problem at all -- their current atheism is based on things they hold to be true. It is NOT based on nothing. 

Our current atheism may be based on very good reasons (e.g. revelation is unreliable as a source of truth) or on bad reasons (e.g. that lady at church was mean to me therefore Christianity is false) but it is based on reasons. And these reasons are things we hold to be true. Not nothing.

Hey Belaqua.

I think I grok what you're posting/aying.

However, just something about the phrasing you've used seems... for want of a better description... a 'Tad off' to me.

Now, I'm admiting upfront, I can't quite yet put my finger on it or explain well what that said 'Twitch' is but.... yeah.

Again I am pretty sure I understand that you're saying people think about new things/some thingd and then depending on other things they think is whether they accept the new things/ some things or not.

Cheers.

 

Not at work.