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Whether you’re debating God for a school project, trying to convert a radical friend, or simply interested in the arguments out there, you may be looking for ideas on how to disprove God. There are plenty of solid scientific, historical, philosophical, and cultural claims you can make. We’ll cover the most compelling, popular, and effective arguments here. Whatever approach you adopt, ensure that you stay polite and considerate when discussing religion—it can be a very sensitive topic for some people.
How to Argue God Doesn’t Exist
- It is impossible to prove God exists, so it follows that there’s no reason to believe God is real.
- If God is good and omnipotent, why does evil exist? God either must not be all-powerful or purely good. In either case, they shouldn’t be worshipped.
- Occam’s razor states that the simplest explanation is often the most likely. Is a magical deity in charge of everything really the best way to explain life?
Steps
Community Q&A
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QuestionWhat do I do if someone tries to force their religion on me, or calls me disgusting for not believing?WritingismypassionCommunity AnswerSay, "Not everyone has the same views. I would appreciate it if you could stop trying to force your beliefs on me and be a little more respectful."
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QuestionShould I thoroughly read the Bible before arguing against the existence of God?Community AnswerYes. You should respect everyone's opinion. Look at different points of view, and understand all sides before taking one.
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QuestionIf God isn't real, then why are several things written in Revelations playing out in today's world?Community AnswerBecause these things are common sense. I would bet all my savings that there is going to be a war in Europe in the next thousand years, but I'm not a God or a prophet or anything except a culturally and historically aware human being.
Tips
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In 2008, Nebraska state senator Ernie Chambers sued God for "widespread death, destruction, and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth’s inhabitants." The lawsuit was dismissed on the grounds that God doesn't have an address, and thus couldn't be served a court summons. In response to the dismissal, Chambers argued "The court itself acknowledges the existence of God. A consequence of that acknowledgment is a recognition of God's omniscience [...] Since God knows everything, God has notice of this lawsuit."[22]Thanks
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Some people choose religion to get over a bad experience in their life such as addiction, or a tragic death. While religion can have positive impacts on people's lives and can help them in times of need, that does not mean that the ideas behind the religion are true. If you encounter someone who claims to have been helped like this, exercise caution, as you don't want to offend them, but you do not have to avoid them or pretend to think like them.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
- Take into account that your same argument could be flipped around to support the other person's belief. No matter what you believe, accept your own limitations. Only argue about things when it's appropriate and helpful. At the end of the day, most people can agree that we all share a basic human need to be understood, accepted, and safe.
- Before debating, be sure to educate yourself by reading other arguments and research the other side. For instance, if you're having a discussion with a Christian, thoroughly read the Bible. Review the works of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to fuel your debate.
- People are may not change their beliefs because they lost an argument. In order to change, a person must come to a conclusion about their beliefs by themselves.
- Start with other religions, like the Aztecs, Greeks, Roman and Scandinavian Gods and relate them to other known religions to support your argument.
References
- ↑ https://www.theatlantic.com/personal/archive/2009/01/the-teapot-analogy/55930/
- ↑ https://www.reasonablefaith.org/media/debates/what-is-the-evidence-for-against-the-existence-of-god
- ↑ https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2015/04/08/398227737/what-the-god-of-the-gaps-teaches-us-about-science
- ↑ http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/dalrymple/scientific_age_earth.html
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-human-beast/201005/why-atheism-will-replace-religion
- ↑ https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pascal-wager/
- ↑ https://www.princeton.edu/~tkelly/cg.pdf
- ↑ https://thinkingthoughtout.com/2012/07/06/two-problems-of-revelation/
- ↑ https://americanhumanist.org/what-is-humanism/reasons-humanists-reject-bible/
- ↑ http://commonsenseatheism.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Drange-The-Argument-from-Non-Belief.pdf
- ↑ http://creation.com/who-created-god
- ↑ http://www.iep.utm.edu/evil-log/
- ↑ https://secularhumanism.org/2014/07/cont-how-morality-has-the-objectivity-that-matterswithout-god/
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/homo-consumericus/200912/atheism-and-carpe-diem-seize-the-day?collection=152500
- ↑ https://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/islandora/object/fsu:183146
- ↑ https://crossexamined.org/can-god-create-a-rock-so-heavy-that-he-cannot-lift-it/
- ↑ https://www.gotquestions.org/Russells-teapot.html
- ↑ http://www.wittenberg.edu/sites/default/files/media/occ/forms/debate.pdf
- ↑ https://psychcentral.com/blog/how-to-argue-effectively
- ↑ https://au.reachout.com/identity/spirituality/respecting-others-spiritual-beliefs
- ↑ http://estestherapy.com/how-to-communicate-during-an-argument-7-quick-rules/
- ↑ https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna20827350
About This Article
To argue that God doesn't exist, try to focus on the scientific and cultural evidence. Point out evidence of evolution that predates the theory of creationism. For example, scientists have used radiocarbon dating to prove that there are fossils over a millions of years old. While there’s a lot that science can’t explain, you could argue that the gap of what we don’t know is getting smaller, and it’s only a matter of time before people won’t need religion to explain things. You could also argue that believing in God is not necessarily a natural human trait. For example, people who aren’t exposed to religion or the idea of God as kids don’t tend to believe in God as adults. There are also many contradictions within religious texts. You could argue that these demonstrate a flawed model for God’s existence. To learn how to bring up philosophical arguments about God, read on!