[This post is a work in progress as part of the CAA Catechism.] [Add the title only in the title field, not in the body of the post.] Summary in 400 words or less: The Burden of Proof (BoP) is the idea that an individual who makes a claim is responsible for supporting it. This makes debate flow more smoothly and prevents people from making claims for which they have no … [Read more...]
Richard Dawkins and the 'Absence of Belief'
Richard Dawkins and the New Atheists have popularized the idea that atheism, contrary to other positions, is not a belief; it is simply ‘the absence of belief’ in God or a supreme being. It almost sounds esoteric. Theists believe that God exists and atheists merely lack that belief. Well, on that view, my Chevy is just as much of an atheist as Richard Dawkins, for it, too, … [Read more...]
Atheism and the burden of proof
When someone makes a claim about the world, if they want to convince others, they are required to provide justification for that claim. This is not a contentious or strange idea, but what does this mean for atheism? Is atheism a belief and does it require justification? In this article I will show that atheism is a belief about the world and that it does require a justification … [Read more...]
God and Santa Claus
Equating belief in God with belief in Santa seems to be popular among many atheists who have grown up in religious families but later abandoned their "childish" belief in God in the same way they gave up their belief in Santa Claus. It's so obvious that God is something you only believe in as a child but then later give up when you mature and become a rational, reasoning … [Read more...]
Russell's Teapot, Dawkins' Fairies, and The Burden of Proof
Scientific positivism has taken a deep hold in society due in large part to advocates from the "New Atheist" movement and others who argue for strict empiricism. Scientists like Richard Dawkins and Peter Atkins argue for the use of scientific, empirical evidence as the fundamental framework for all epistemic queries. Why should we believe that a thing does or does not exist? … [Read more...]
You Cannot Prove The Existence Of God!
I was an atheist when I first said that to a Christian more than 40 years ago. I must say it felt pretty good to say those words. It makes one feel superior to tell a person they cannot prove something they believe. Most Christians I said that to personally and on my radio talk show either crumbled or exploded at that point. Either reaction was fine with me. I am no longer … [Read more...]
Teapots & Spaghetti Monsters: Why atheists aren't off the (proof) hook.
A common challenge Christian apologists face concerns the atheist's claim that God doesn't exist. A more specific variety of this challenge was recently posed by a TilledSoil.org reader concerning an atheist's use of Russell's teapot analogy for the non-existence of God. Here is an extract of Bertrand Russell giving the analogy: "If I were to suggest that between the Earth … [Read more...]