Does it make a difference if there is a God or not?

Solution Preview

---

Q:1. I have to do an 11-14 page power point on the above subject. Here are a few questions that I am trying to answer. Any possible websites that could be of benefit to me would also be very helpful. Thank You. Bill Jr.

1. What are the Philosophies Related to My Topic?

ARGUMENTS ARE OFTEN BETWEEN ATHEISTS/EVOLUTIONISTS VS. THEISTS

Philosophies and the proof of God's existence (or not) see URL: http://www.philosopher.org.uk/god.htm (which is attached for convenience as: Philosophy and the proof God Exists.docx).

Atheist philosophies and arguments: see URL: http://atheism.about.com/od/doesgodexist/a/whydebate.htm.

See article called: Do Atheists NOT believe in God? (URL: http://www.mwillett.org/atheism/atheist-God.htm), which also might fit into the next question as well.

2. What are the Misconceptions about My Topic?

Atheist Arguments: Misconceptions about Atheists (see URL: http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/keith_parsons/misconceptions.html, attached for convenience).

Also see http://americanatheist.org/smr97/T3/besant.html, which discusses misconceptions as well.

See the article called: Do Atheists NOT believe in God? (URL: http://www.mwillett.org/atheism/atheist-God.htm).

Arguments by proponents that God Exists (theists) about Misconceptions about God (see URL: http://www.zeitgeistresponse.info/id5.html):

a. Science

Science Has Disproved God

There is No External Evidence for God

God Cannot Be Empirically Evinced

Evolution is the Creator, Not God

A Young Earth Cosmology is Irrational

b. The Philosophical (God, Causation, Knowledge, Moral Truth)

God Cannot Be Philosophically Discerned

God Cannot Be An Uncaused Cause

We Cannot Know God

Moral Absolutes Do Not Exist

c. The Supernatural & Myth

The Supernatural Does Not Exist
Biblical Miracles Are Myth

(discussed in detail at URL: http://www.zeitgeistresponse.info/id5.html)

Also see URL: http://www.zeitgeistresponse.info/id3.html.

Also see URL: http://www.zeitgeistresponse.info/id6.html.

Also see URL: http://www.zeitgeistresponse.info/id4.html.

3. What are the reasons that people do Not believe in god?

Ten of the philosophical questions that have been raised of why people do not believe in God are:

10. War
Religion is basically the cause of most wars, ancient and present. For example, the crusades were responsible for the holy wars between Christians and Muslims. The Pope actually sanctioned the attacks on Jerusalem to "reclaim" the city from Muslim rule. Even today, the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict can be argued that it is based on religion, Judaism vs. Islam.

9. Omnipotence Paradox
This paradox asks a question that is contradictory for God. For example, "Can God create an object so heavy that even God cannot lift it?" or "Can God ask a question so difficult that even he cannot answer it?"

8. Cosmological Argument
This argument asks a question which only ends up involved with circular logic. "If God created the Universe, which must have been created, then who or what created God, and so on.

7. Suffering
Suffering is similar to the problem of evil, whereas how can God allow suffering in the universe if he is an all-loving being. Everyday, we see thousands of people die everyday, diseases such as E. coli spreading rapidly, and civil unrest in places such as the Middle East.

6. No Reason to Exist
Since knowledge, feelings, desire, etc. are all human traits, God does not have any reason to feel All-loving, or he has no reason to create humans for his own "personal satisfaction".

5. Free Will
The argument from free will asks if God is an omniscient being, how free will can exist. If God has all the knowledge of future events, then how can humans be free to choose the events that affect them? For example, if I were to choose between wearing a red shirt or blue shirt, but God already knows I am going to choose the red shirt, then how did I really have a choice in choosing the red shirt since God already knew which one I would choose?

4. Varying Religions
Since all major religions give different examples of what God wants and who God is, the argument can be made that it is impossible for all religions to be correct in describing God.

3. Poor Design Argument
This basically asks how an omnipotent, omnibenevolent God can create imperfect beings in an imperfect universe. Organisms created by a perfect God should reflect the qualities of their creator. Scientists have used evolution to enforce this line of thought against topics such as the argument from intelligent design.

2. Problem of Evil
A common topic in philosophy, the problem of evil deals with the fact that if God is omnipotent and omniscient, how can he allow evil to exist in the world. The problem implies that there is a contradiction with God's attributes.

1. Faithlessness & Depression
Perhaps you have been feeling sad for a long period of time and you begin to question your faith. Significant events in your life can make you wonder if God would actually allow those harmful moments to take place towards you (Source: http://www.toptenlisted.com/philosophy-god/top-10-reasons-to-not-believe-in-god/).

Also see URL: http://americanatheist.org/smr97/T3/besant.html.

4. What are the reasons people do Believe in god?

Arguments: Does God Exist - Things to Consider: Once you're ready to ask the question, "does God exist?" here are a few observations to consider as you begin your search for an objective answer:

? Discoveries in astronomy have shown beyond a reasonable doubt that the universe did, in fact, have a beginning. There was a single moment of creation.

? Advances in molecular biology have revealed vast amounts of information encoded in each and every living cell, and molecular biologists ...