Atheism Debate

Atheism, the idea believed by atheists, is essentially the belief that there are no deities or gods. It can also be defined, in much more broad terms, as the rejection of any belief of deities. While the exact definition of atheism is widely debated, there are several levels of atheism, giving alternate meanings to the word. By the broadest of standards, atheism refers to the absence of any belief in gods or deities. This modern definition of Atheism originated in the 18th century. The word “atheism” arose from the Greek word atheos, meaning “without gods”. This was originally a negative word applied to those individuals who did not believe or worship gods of any kind that the larger society as a whole believed in. The eventual rise of freethought, skepticism, and criticism of religions led to a more widespread belief in atheism by many individuals.

The Atheism Debate:
Christianity has always been a major opponent of atheism. To add to the atheist debate, the Bible states that anybody who does not believe in God as the supreme being is a fool. The Catholic Church has also been strongly present in the debate, claiming that since atheism rejects or denies that God exists, it is a sin against Christianity. Proponents of agnostics have also entered the atheism debate, believing that humans are incapable of knowing whether or not a deity exists. They believe that while we do not know a deity exists, there may indeed be one existing; humans however, are incapable knowing whether or not it does or have not discovered it yet.

Atheism on an Individual Scale:
The Philosopher, Blaise Pascal had had a strong opinion in the atheism debate, voicing concerns about human nature and how atheism effects the human thought process and way of thinking. In his thoughts on the atheist debate, he voices that atheism shows strength of mind, but only to a certain degree. He further criticizes atheists for not seeking out the truth about whether or not God exists and identifying the signs of God’s will.

Many religions have voiced their concern in the atheism debate, claiming that after death, atheists are punished for their disbelief in a supreme being. Christian authors have linked good health and long life as a direct relation with the belief in God. On the other side of the atheist debate, atheists have claimed that countries with high percentage of atheists generally live longer because they value their life on earth more. Since they believe there is no after life, a person is more willing to use their time wisely when they are living.

Morality in the Atheism Debate:
Philosophers for years have told about the importance of a supreme being to dictate rules for living, as it gives motivation to people to perform good behavior and to live righteously. Christian Cardinal, Cormac Murphy-O’Connor has stated that he believes atheism is the result of many wars and the destruction of humanity and a lack of faith is a greater evil than sin itself.