The Case For Atheism -- or, I am the Devil's Advocate!

The best way to elevate the debate to a higher level, above the name-calling, ad hominem, personal attacks, and strawman fallacies, is to present your debate opponent's argument in the strongest possible form, and argue against it in a logical, civil way.

That's what I will attempt to do here. I will be playing "the Devil's Advocate," arguing strongly for atheism.

I will make a separate blog post with my logical argument against this "Case for Atheism."

The Big Bang Does Not Prove God

If the universe must have a prior cause, then God would logically also require a prior cause. On the other hand, if theists say that God requires no prior cause, then the universe would not need one either. If God can simply exist without a cause, why can't the universe do the same?

The universe, or parts of the universe, could always just exist, exploding sometimes and transforming into a different form or type of universe.

Lack of Scientific Evidence for God

There is currently no scientific evidence for any Gods. But, even if science one day does show that the universe had a prior cause, how would we know whether this prior cause is Yahweh, Allah, Jesus, Zeus, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster?

Human Consciousness Does Not Prove God

If human consciousness couldn't have evolved naturally, as some theists claim, and had to be designed by an intelligent Creator, then from where did this Creator get His consciousness?

If consciousness cannot evolve naturally, or come into existence on its own, then logically, God could not have consciousness either, without a previous Designer.

On the other hand, if theists admit that God can develop consciousness naturally, then why can't human beings develop it naturally?

Human Morals as Evidence Against Yahweh

If human beings are created in God's moral image, according to theists, then our moral values should reflect Yahweh's morals in the Bible, if Yahweh is our true Creator.

So why, then, are we disgusted by Yahweh's actions that we read about in the Old Testament -- His petty vengeance, anger, and jealousy, His violent rage. Why are we horrified by Yahweh commanding the slaughter of innocent children? 

Why did Yahweh allow slavery and rapists to marry their victims? Why did He command the Israelites to slaughter entire nations, including women and children? Why did Yahweh destroy millions of people with a Flood, including innocent children? Why did He command that unruly Jewish children should be stoned to death? Our morals today tell us these things are wrong, therefore, how can we be created in the image of Yahweh?

Jesus and Yahweh are Moral Opposites

If Jesus is the perfect reflection of Yahweh, as Christians claim, then Jesus' morals should have perfectly reflected Yahweh's morals from the Old Testament.

But, instead, what we see in the New Testament, is that Christ's morals were often the opposite of Yahweh's. If Jesus is the perfect moral standard, then why was Yahweh so different in the Old Testament compared to Jesus?

How could Yahweh's morals be inferior to Jesus' morals?

The Source of Jesus' Power

For the sake of argument, let's say Jesus Christ existed and did perform miracles. If God exists and Satan exists, then how could we ever know whether Jesus' power came from God or from Satan?

How would we know that Jesus wasn't sent by Satan to get Jews to fall away from Yahweh's Law to Moses and follow after Jesus instead?

Lack of Evidence for Miracles

If you don't believe in any miracle-claims today, or any miracle-claims from other religions, why do you believe ancient miracle-claims about Jesus or Muhammad?

A Loving God Wouldn't Allow Suffering

What kind of loving parent would allow their children to suffer pain if they could have prevented it, especially if they knew it was going to happen in advance?

What kind of loving parent would ever burn and torture their children in fire for years, like many theists claim God does?

God Commanding You To Kill

If God commanded you to kill someone, would you do it? Is something morally good just because God commands it?

If you answer "No" to those questions, why did the ancient Israelites obey Yahweh when He commanded them to slaughter entire nations, including children?

Also, how can Christians condemn ISIS today for doing what ancient Israel did in the Bible?

Lack of Evidence for the Bible

Why should we accept the Bible as the inspired Word of God, but reject the Quran, Book of Mormon, or other religious holy books? What standard of evidence are you using to compare holy books?

What evidence exists that proves that any holy book was inspired by any God?

If the Bible is inspired by God, why does it contain errors?

Did Jesus Approve of Killing Your Children?

It appears that Jesus condemned the Pharisees for failing to kill their disrespectful children like the Law of Moses commanded. (Mark 7:9-13) If so, how do Jesus' moral values agree with our own? How is this not immoral?

Almost every person today would be horrified at the thought of killing your children for being disrespectful.

God and Slavery, a Challenge to Atheists

How could a morally good God allow slavery?

In the beginning, inside the special Garden of Eden, God's true moral ideals were displayed. Men and women were equals. There was no death, no disease. There was no slavery, divorce, polygamy, prejudices, or injustices of any kind. (Genesis 1:26 through 2:25)

God gave Adam and Eve the gift of free will, and has allowed humans free will because He values freedom as something precious. But freedom logically entails that there may be bad choices made, resulting in pain and suffering.

Needless to say, human beings have made some horrible choices over thousands and thousands of years. These have brought a lot of suffering on the earth.

When Yahweh made His Covenant with Moses and Israel, He had His angels entrust the Law to Moses as a Mediator. (Galatians 3:19) Moses was allowed to make concessions for the stubborn and callous ancient Jewish people. (Matthew 19:7-9) Some of the concessions which Moses made for the ancient Jews, were divorce, polygamy, slavery, and women being viewed as property.

None of those things were God's original ideal morals or standards, instead He allowed them, partly as the punishment on Adam and Eve's rebellion of sin in the Garden. (Genesis 3:16-19)

God met the ancient Jewish people where they were at in their current evolutionary moral development, and He improved their existing laws, elevated them to a superior level, better than any Pagan nation surrounding them. Yet, by the same token, God chose not to completely remove all of Israel's less-than-ideal choices or practices at that time. He chose to allow evolution to continue.

When Jesus arrived, He declared that He was re-instituting the ideal morals that God had in the beginning. (Matthew 19:4-9; Mark 10:2-12; Matthew 13:35)

God allowed ancient Israel to use foreign slaves, many of whom may have been prisoners of war (POWs) to accomplish building projects which benefited Israelite society.

Slavery based on racism, and slavery with mistreatment and abuse of slaves has always been morally wrong to God.

The New Testament Condemned Roman Slavery Practices

The New Testament is restoring God's moral ideals "from the beginning," however the New Testament writers did not want to openly confront the Roman Government, because they knew that would be suicide. So they cautiously spoke against certain practices of the Roman Government which were not acceptable for Christians.

1 Timothy 1:10 condemns slave-traders together with murderers and liars. 1 Corinthians 7:21-23 says that if you can become free of your slavery, then you should do so, and that you should never willingly become a slave to another human.

Ephesians 6:9 commands Christians, who have slaves under Roman law, to treat their slaves as an equal brother and never to threaten them, because Jesus is watching from Heaven.

Why Did Christians Abolish Slavery Instead of Atheists?

I encourage all atheists to do research on William Wilberforce, the devout Christian who brought about the end of slavery in Europe, and also Abraham Lincoln, who made strong statements of faith in God and the Bible, while leading the war to end slavery in America.

Why did Christians eliminate slavery instead of atheists?

Watch the movie "Amazing Grace" to learn more about William Wilberforce and his Christian faith.

Atheists constantly claim Yahweh would be morally evil for allowing slavery.

First of all, the atheist is required to have an objective moral standard which says all forms of slavery are evil, in all places, at all times, for all people, period. Does the atheist possess this objective standard? Where does this standard come from? Do you have empirical evidence or proof of such a standard?

Secondly, which specific things about ancient Jewish slavery are evil? Is it evil to work for another person to pay off a debt? Is it wrong to draft people to help defend your country in a war? Is it evil to draft people to help with a nation's huge building projects which will benefit all people in the nation?

The ancient Jewish practice of slavery which God allowed, was for Israel to have slaves from foreign nations. These may have been prisoners-of-war (POWs). Is it evil or wrong for a nation to have POWs do forced labor?

Simply claiming "Slavery is evil because it is slavery" is not a valid argument at all. That is circular reasoning and would fail in any logical debate.

So, atheists, why was ancient Jewish slavery objectively evil or wrong? Why was Yahweh objectively evil for allowing it to occur?

I look forward to seeing your comments below.

The 8 Miracles that Point to Yahweh

8 Miracles that Point to Yahweh

A "miracle" is that which is beyond scientific understanding or explanation, or that which contradicts current known scientific theories and laws of nature.

In my view, there are 8 extraordinary miracles which point to Yahweh (Jehovah), the God of the Bible, as being the Creator of the universe.

Miracle Number 1: The universe is made up of space, time, and matter. Current scientific understanding is that space, time, and matter began to exist at a specific moment, with the Singularity and the Big Bang. Prior to this, space, time, and matter did not exist.

Everything we know in science requires time. There is cause-and-effect in nature and in the universe because things happen in time. Nothing we have ever seen has happened without time. Thus, in order to be a natural event, time must exist.

So, any event occurring without time would be a miracle, and especially the event of time itself coming into existence, without time existing previously, would be miraculous by anyone's definition. Either time created itself from nothing, before it existed, or something else outside of time created time.

Since it is a logical absurdity to claim that time existed before time existed, and created itself, we are left with the thought that something else must have created time.

Miracle Number 2: The vast majority of human beings acknowledge that absolute morals of good and evil do exist: The Holocaust, slavery, child molestation, rape, murder are all wrong no matter what anyone says, and these things are wrong for all people, at all times, in all locations. Period. We also realize that there is a duty to obey these morals, and we feel guilt when we do not.

This points to an outside, third-party umpire or judge of morals.

Miracle Number 3: There is a deep desire within human beings, going back thousands upon thousands of years, for a Higher Power and an afterlife. These desires are as deep within humanity as are the desires for food, water, clothing, sex, and shelter. All of those other things actually exist in reality, so why should we assume that a Higher Power and afterlife does not exist?

We accept logic, love, and morality as truth because we feel their power deep inside of us. Why should we reject the idea of a Higher Power that we feel so deeply within?

Miracle Number 4: Science has never shown that life can spontaneously naturally develop from non-life, without intelligent engineering. Therefore this points to an intelligent engineer bringing forth the first life on earth. (Abiogenesis is an unscientific claim.)

Miracle Number 5: Many scientists say that the universe appears extremely improbably fine-tuned, or "tweaked" in order to favor the existence of life, and especially human life. This points to cosmic designer.

Miracle Number 6: The resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is the best, most logical explanation for all of the events that took place at that time, surrounding His death.

No one has ever naturally come back to life after being dead. This points to something beyond nature with the power to give life.

Miracle Number 7: The Bible accurately predicted, with precise detail, centuries in advance, the following:

(a): that the Jewish Messiah would appear in 33 A.D., and would be killed, then the same government that killed Him would destroy the rebuilt Temple. (Daniel 9:24-27)
(b): that skeptics would rise up in the "Last Days" and claim that Noah's Flood never happened and that there is no Creator. (2 Peter 3:5-7)

No one has ever naturally predicted the future with any accuracy. This points to something beyond nature with foreknowledge.

Miracle Number 8: The Bible accurately declared advanced scientific knowledge, such as:

(a): The earth is suspended in empty space. (Job 26:7)
(b): The earth is spherical. (Isaiah 40:22)
(c): There are "springs" on the ocean floor. (Job 38:16; Genesis 7:11; Proverbs 8:28)
(d): You must quarantine sick people. (Leviticus 13:4, 46; Leviticus 14:8; Numbers 5:2; 2 Kings 15:5)

This points to something beyond ancient humanity that provided them with advance/early scientific information which was not discovered by scientists until recent times.