Is Atheism Logical?
Atheism
is the world view that denies the existence of God. More specifically,
traditional atheism argues that there never was and never will be a
God. But is this position rationally justifiable?
Atheism positively affirms that there is no
God. But can the atheist be certain of this claim? You see, to know
that a transcendent God does not exist would require a perfect knowledge
of all things (omniscience). To attain this knowledge you would have
to have simultaneous access to all parts of the universe (omnipresence).
Therefore, as an atheist, to be certain of this claim you would have
to possess Godlike characteristics. Obviously, mankind's limited nature
precludes these special abilities. The atheist's dogmatic claim is therefore
clearly unjustifiable. The atheist is attempting to prove a universal
negative. In terms of logic this is called a logical fallacy.
The atheistic world view is inadequate for
many other reasons as well. First, atheism cannot adequately explain
the existence of the world. Like all other things, the world in which
we live cries out for an explanation which is clearly beyond itself
- however, the atheist is unable to provide one. Second, the atheistic
world view is unable to provide the necessary preconditions to account
for the laws of science, the universal laws of logic - and, of course,
absolute moral standards. In short, the atheistic world view cannot
account for the meaningful realities of life.
If individual atheists are serious about truth
when it comes to God, let them consider the claims of Jesus Christ.
He claimed to be none other than God in human flesh (John 1:1). This
astounding claim was supported, however, by His matchless personal character,
His fulfillment of predictive prophecy, His incredible influence on
human history - and most importantly, the historical fact of His resurrection
from the dead.
The evidence is definitely there for the skeptic
to analyze. As Francis Schaeffer, the noted apologist, stated: "God
is there and He is not silent." God was in Christ reconciling the world
to Himself (2 Cor. 5:19). Ultimately man does not deny the existence
of God for lack of evidence, but because man does not want to be accountable
to his creator.
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