The Six Whys of Atheism 02

[0:00] In considering the issue of God's existence, an important admission needs to be made up front. And that is, God's existence or non-existence cannot be conclusively proved either way.

[0:15] If the universe does exist due to an intelligent creator, that indicates intent, purpose, meaning, and destiny.

[0:25] Absence of an intelligent creator indicates total randomness. There is no intent, no purpose, no meaning, and no destiny.

[0:38] These opposites clearly reveal the importance of origins. All that comes after the origin of anything presupposes a why.

[0:50] Why is it? While atheists must conclude there is no why, the opposite camp called theists insist there is a why.

[1:02] There is intent, purpose, meaning, and destiny. These differences represent the great divide between an intelligent, purposeful creator and unintelligent evolutionary randomness.

[1:18] Atheists consistently charge theists of relying solely on religion or faith. But atheists, say they, rely only upon the proven facts of science.

[1:31] But since neither position can be conclusively proved, some degree of faith must be invoked by both camps. At the conclusion of this content, the reader or listener can decide which position, whether theism or atheism actually requires the greater amount of faith.

[1:53] So admitting the inability to establish absolute certainty as to God's existence, we are left with what each side calls the compelling reasons for their position, beginning with those of the atheists.

[2:05] And when asked why they deny God's existence, their most common answers are among the following six. First, since God does not exist, the universe probably had no beginning but always existed.

[2:23] But if not, the only other possibility was an unknown force for an unknown reason caused a big bang explosion allowing the universe to create itself.

[2:36] But whichever it was, no God was involved. Also, the late physicist Stephen Hawking, while not ruling God out, did declare God unnecessary, saying, due to the existence of gravity, the universe was able to create itself, apart from intelligence of any kind.

[2:55] Thus, it was nothing that produced gravity, which in turn produced the universe, including our tiny planet called Earth. A second reason offered by the atheist is called the hiddenness of God.

[3:13] Should God actually exist, it would only be logical he make his presence obvious so people could easily believe. But that has not happened, simply because God does not exist.

[3:27] A third reason relates to written sources like the Bible claiming to reveal God's existence. But, says the atheist, there can be no written sources from a non-existent being.

[3:42] So all writings claimed to be such were merely from men who assigned divine authority to them. And those writings then became accepted by gullible humans mistakenly believing they came from God.

[3:59] With their fourth reason, atheists see an incompatibility between the existence of an all-powerful, loving God and that of evil. And since evil definitely does exist, the incompatible opposite called God has got to go.

[4:19] So, while there is evil, there is no God. And the incompatibility is resolved. Objection number five for denying God's existence is in their claim of their being practical realists who face death as an eventual permanent reality with nothing beyond but oblivion.

[4:44] Atheists say they alone have come to grips with their final and permanent demise, while theists, counting on a God being there, is in denial about theirs.

[5:00] And their sixth objection is linked to number five and their explanation as to why many theists do believe God exists, and it's called the crutch factor.

[5:13] Atheists say believers in God have need for emotional comfort, which they derive from the mistaken notion God exists and they are not alone.

[5:24] And having that emotional crutch aids them in getting through life. And it also helps in facing adversity and death itself by relying on an imaginary life after death, presumably in an imaginary heaven somewhere provided by their imaginary God.

[5:47] Atheists say believers in God have need for emotional comfort,