Q: do you, Christian, claim that God exists, rather than you believe that he exists?

[max-greece]

I thought to myself. What kind of God would invent something like this?

Then I realised - no God would come up with something so pointlessly horrific - therefore, there is no God.

From that moment on its all just fallen into place.

It is horrible and sad that human beings suffer from diseases like this. I can think of other even more horrific diseases than this. So I sympathize with you on this. Cancer comes to mind. My great-grandfather died of prostate cancer and it was very painful for him. I cannot imagine how he must have suffered.

If this is why you are an atheist then I respect this.

You state that: "No God would come up with something so pointlessly horrific, therefore no God exists."

Your argument against God is what is commonly referred to as "The Problem of Evil."

The reasoning is that the existence of evil and suffering in the world are incompatible with the existence of God. Since evil and suffering exist, it follows that God does not.

This is what I consider to be the most powerful positive argument a non-theist can use against the existence of God.

Are you familiar with this argument?

Yes, I am familiar with the argument. You are almost there in what drove me to atheism but not quite- the problem is I don't know if I can explain it exactly.

Its the pointlessness of so much of the suffering of animals and people that gets me. I'm not sure I would label diseases or parasites as evil - but I have to seriously question the mind that came up with them.

To me, now, this is not an argument for atheism alone. It is an argument for maltheism. I only reject the latter on the basis that I just don't buy the idea that a creator God of any form made this universe for us and is even aware we exist. If such an entity as the one that created the universe were aware of us somehow I can't see that he would care one way or another - even at a species level, let alone an individual 24/7 monitoring level.

Frankly - I don't even see mankind as the likeliest life-form of choice for the creator. I could easily see that were there a God he created the universe for single celled life and we are a by-product of no significance.

Before you dismiss that idea consider the following:

Single celled life has been around, just on this planet for something over 4 billion years. That is almost a 1/3rd of the age of the Universe itself.

If we do ever conquer space and do ever find life bearing planets we will find single celled life. We are much less likely to find multicellular life.

It is quite possible that single celled life is actually common throughout the galaxy and even the universe at large.

Multicellular will be much rarer. Intelligent multicellular rarer still.

Gotta say - looks like he did it for the amoeba after all.