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Basic Worldview:
102 Atheism vs. Theism


Charges 3 and 4, Definitions

Prelude: "Atheism/Theism" vs. "Science, the Bible, & Creation"
Atheism: Introduction and Charges
Charge 1, Deduction and Induction
Charge 2, Question 1
Charge 2, Questions 2 and 3
Charge 2, Summary and Question 4
Charges 3 and 4, Definitions
Empirical Evidence
Scientists Acting as Mechanisms, Article 1
Scientists Acting as Mechanisms, Article 2
Scientists Acting as Mechanisms, Article 3
Occam's Razor and Conclusions
Footnote 1
Footnote 2 and 3
Proof of Life
Not Theories, Unsubstantiated Hypotheses 1
Not Theories, Unsubstantiated Hypotheses 2
Not Theories, Unsubstantiated Hypotheses 3
Not Theories, Unsubstantiated Hypotheses 4
Scientists: Life on Earth Imported from Outer Space
Atheisms Circle of Reasons
Is God a White Crow?



Empirical Evidence and Atheism

Before we move to the empirical evidence it is first necessary to clearly frame the significance of the proof that will follow from that evidence. We will begin by defining Atheism and Agnosticism in order that it may be understood how critical the empirical evidence regarding the intelligence or unintelligence of the First Cause is to these two ideologies.

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001, defines Atheism and Agnosticism as follows.

Atheism - denial of the existence of God or gods and of any supernatural existence, to be distinguished from agnosticism, which holds that the existence cannot be proved.

Agnosticism - form of skepticism that holds that the existence of God cannot be logically proved or disproved...Agnosticism is not to be confused with atheism, which asserts that there is no God.

Atheism is a positive belief. Atheism asserts that no god exists. This is in contrast to Agnosticism, which asserts that there is no empirical evidence that god exists. We cannot confuse the two nor should we let Atheists redefine themselves in such a way that confuses the two. Atheism does not simply assert that we cannot know god exists. Atheism asserts that the conclusion is certain: no god exists.

In contrast, it is Agnosticism, not Atheism, which asserts that the existence of god is unknowable through empirical means. And, in this regard, Agnosticism is equally certain of its conclusion: no empirical evidence exists for the existence of god. Agnosticism concludes, that since there is no empirical evidence for god, therefore, we cannot actually know anything about god.

So, Atheism is certain about the existence of god: god does not exist. And Agnosticism, while uncertain about whether or not god exists, is certain about the existence of empirical evidence for god: no empirical evidence of god exists.

Atheism and Agnosticism are alike in one vital respect. Both Atheism and Agnosticism necessarily hold that life originated by unintelligent causes. So, if we prove that the only empirical evidence available indicates that life originated by intelligent causation, we simultaneously disprove both Atheism and Agnosticism.

Since Atheists and Agnostics uphold that all aspects of the universe are caused by unintelligent causes all that is necessary in order to demonstrate that the First Cause is intelligent, is to demonstrate that some aspect of the universe could not have come about through unintelligent causes. In order to do this, we will demonstrate that ALL the available empirical evidence necessitates only one conclusion, that as a general rule, life comes about from intelligent agency. So, once again, if we prove that the only empirical evidence available indicates that life originated by intelligent causation, we simultaneously disprove both Atheism and Agnosticism.

Put simply, if we can identify one instance that necessitates the existence of an intelligent First Cause then we have disproved Atheism and Agnosticism since we would have found an instance, which undermines their general rule that no god exists. This is how induction works and why it is described as an invalid argument form. If even one white crow is observed then the general rule that all crows are black is disproved.