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Showing posts with the label Philosophers without Gods: Meditations on Atheism and the Secular Life

Why are there still atheists?

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Image via Wikipedia A lot of ink has been spilled over whether God exists. Within this context, some theists like to point out that "God has made it plain" that he exists, that "God's invisible qualities … have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse" (Rom. 1:19-20). They urge us to remember that the "heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands" (Ps. 19:1). Jim Spiegel cites these passages and  writes : "This naturally prompts the question: If the evidence for God is so abundant, then why are there atheists?" Spiegel asserts that for many atheists, it's not "cool, rational inquiry" that led to their atheism. Rather, in many cases it's complex moral and psychological factors that produce atheism. For example, Spiegel points to research suggesting that some prominent atheists had broken, defective relationships with their fathers. Others...