Why God Doesn't Exist: An Atheist's Argument

2716 Words6 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Role of religion

The belief in Gods has always existed throughout human’s recored history. Whether it be the Greek Gods: Apollo, and Zeus, or the Judeo-Christian God, believed by Christians in modern day society. The belief of God has always existed among humans, however, assuming God does not exist, what explains the cultural evolution of such a false belief, namely religion? I shall argue that the reason this false belief is successful is because it manipulates human nature better than any other belief by these three points: an avoidance of death (the soul), a sense of worth (knowledge), and a sense, or need of belief (faith).

This question is inherent in clarifying the undoubtedly success this false belief has had through human’s existence. However, as Malcolm Murray argues in his book: The Atheist Primer, “But why do so many people believe in a god if it is a false belief? This is an interesting question so long as it is not intended to be used as evidence for God’s existence.”1 Professor Murray’s question is crucial in this essay’s discussion. Regardless of the answer given in this essay, if an answer can be justifiably found, the answer to the above question will not be any supportive evidence towards the existence of a god.

Furthermore, a brief preface will be helpful in guiding the reader throughout this essay, as the argument is structured in a way which examines three critical reasons to why such a false belief, namely religion, has had such success. The first section of this paper will discuss how religion has manipulated the idea of avoiding death; which happens with the creation the soul, and having to follow specific rules, in return, getting into heaven, thus avoiding death. The second section will examine human beings own nee...

... middle of paper ...

... their own nature, victim to their own vanity, and need for knowing more. For this is truly sad, as an individual lives their life on the hope of falsehood, until they die, where they cannot even realize they lived a lie that is the crime religion has done.

Works Cited

Dawkins Richard, “Viruses of the Mind,” in B.Dalbom (ed.), Dennett and his Critics (Oxford: Blackball, 1993).

Harris Sam, “Letters to a Christian Nation.” Quote used from http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/16593.Sam_Harris

Kraut, Richard, "Aristotle's Ethics,” The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = .

Murray Malcolm, “The Atheist’s Primer,” Broadview Press 2010.

The O’Reilly Factor, featuring Richard Dawkins (2007). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FARDDcdFaQ

Show More
Related

  • Facing Inner Conflict in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

    690 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie Crawford, the protagonist, constantly faces the inner conflicts she has against herself. Throughout a lot of her life, Janie is controlled, whether it be by her Nanny or by her husbands, Logan Killicks and Joe Starks. Her outspoken attitude is quickly silenced and soon she becomes nothing more than a trophy, only meant to help her second husband, Joe Starks, achieve power. With time, she no longer attempts to stand up to Joe and make her own decisions. Janie changes a lot from the young girl laying underneath a cotton tree at the beginning of her story. Not only is she not herself, she finds herself aging and unhappy with her life. Joe’s death become the turning point it takes to lead to the resolution of her story which illustrates that others cannot determine who you are, it takes finding your own voice and gaining independence to become yourself and find those who accept you.

    Read More

  • Dependency in Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston

    632 Words  | 2 Pages

    Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God describes the life of Janie, a black woman at the turn of the century. Janie is raised by her Grandmother and spends her life traveling with different men until she finally returnes home. Robert E. Hemenway has said about the  book, “Their Eyes Were Watching God is ... one of the most revealing treatments in modern literature of a woman’s quest for a satisfying life” I partially disagree with Hemenway because, although Janie is on a quest, it is not for a satisfying life.  I believe that she is on a quest for someone on whom to lean. Although she achieves a somewhat satisfying life, Janie’s quest is for dependence rather than satisfaction.

    Read More

  • Search for Identity in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

    977 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, the main character Janie struggles to find herself and her identity. Throughout the course of the novel she has many different people tell her who she should be and how she should behave, but none of these ideas quite fit Janie. The main people telling Janie who she should be is her grandmother and Janie’s 3 husbands. The people in Janie's life influence her search for identity by teaching her about marriage, hard work, class, society, love and happiness.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston

    1099 Words  | 3 Pages

    Zora Neale Hurston, through her novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, was trying to teach her readers that in every relationship there is a dominant person, and a submissive one. Whether the relationship is romantic, or with a friend or acquaintance, there is always a person who is more dominant, and feels more powerful. Power in a relationship is distinguished often between genders, race, and popularity or likeability of people. In these relationships, there is an unbalanced distribution of power because for a long time men were believed to be superior to women, some races are considered inferior to others, and people who are more attractive and well liked will often have the adoration, attention, and support of peers, which provides them with more power in society.

    Read More

  • Search for Identity in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

    1396 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the society and world we live in we all want to be accepted and feel like we belong. Zora Neale Hurston goes through trials and tribulations as being a twenty-century African American such as slavery and feeling like she belongs. Imagine every time you think you are finally happy with whom you are and it turns out that wasn’t the case. In Their Eyes Were Watching God Janie embarks on journey in search for her own identity where each of her three husbands plays an important role in her discovery of who she is.

    Read More

  • Finding Selfhood: Janie's Journey in Their Eyes Were Watching God

    635 Words  | 2 Pages

    One of the most important things in life is finding one’s self. Although this may be difficult to achieve, it is necessary. In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, the protagonist, Janie, struggles with finding her true identity. This led to her round and multi-layered character. Janie has trouble finding herself due to other characters depriving her from the opportunities she has; she allows other characters to take advantage of her. Although Janie has a very independent personality in the novel, she is dependent on others to make important decisions for her.

    Read More

  • Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God

    3249 Words  | 7 Pages

    Equality is meant for all humans at the moment of their birth as it is said that all are created equal by god. Yet, to this day not all are equal. The novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston explores negative aspects of humanity and the values, morals and ethics it promotes through thematic topics. The book uses the thematic topics of sexism, domestic relationships, racism, independence, ambition, and love to prove that equality must be earned and is not given due to the values, ethics and morals that society promotes. This truth is supported and proven by narrative conventions and other writing techniques by Zora Neale Hurston in the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God.

    Read More

  • Analysis of the Atheistic Outlook on Religion.

    2447 Words  | 5 Pages

    Throughout this essay I will demonstrate how religion has played a role in the lives of humans as well as explicate the reasoning behind the true nature of the creation of religion by a psychopath.

    Read More

  • Exploring Dissociative Identity Disorder: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

    1561 Words  | 4 Pages

    Dissociative Identity Disorder, also known as Multiple Personality Disorder is a psychological disorder that can be caused by many things, but the most common cause is severe childhood trauma which is usually extreme, repetitive physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. A lot of people experience mild dissociation which includes daydreaming or getting momentarilly distracted while completing everyday tasks. Dissociative identity disorder is a severe form of dissociation. Seveer Dissociation causes a lack of connection in a person's thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity. Dissociative identity disorder is thought to stem from a combination of factors that may include trauma experienced by the person with the disorder. When a

    Read More

  • Case Study of Gerald: Living with Schizophrenia

    2528 Words  | 6 Pages

    According to the DSM-IV, schizophrenia is classified under the section of “Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders”. Schizophrenia is one of the most serious major chronic brain disorders in the field of mental health; it is a neurological disorder that affects the cognitive functions of the human brain. People living with this incapacitating illness can experience multiple symptoms that will cause extreme strain in their own and their families and friends life. The individual can lose reality, unable to work, have delusions and hallucinations, may have disorganized speech and thought processes, will withdraw from people and activities, they may become suspicious and paranoid, may behave inappropriately in every day social situations. They may neglect personal hygiene and dress improperly, use excessive make-up; every day life is becoming chaotic for everyone involved.

    Read More

  • The Moral Argument for the Existence of God

    2030 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Moral Argument for the Existence of God Kant did NOT put forward a moral argument and anyone who said he does is wrong!!!! Kant rejected all attempts to argue from the world to God, he regarded such an exercise as impossible. However he thought that God was a POSTULATE of practical reason. If you share Kant’s assumptions, then it becomes necessary to assume that there is a God.

    Read More

  • Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God

    1505 Words  | 4 Pages

    Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston portrays the religion of black people as a form of identity. Each individual in the black society Hurston has created worships a different God. But all members of her society find their identities by being able to believe in a God, spiritual or otherwise.

    Read More

  • Does God Exist? ; Philosophical Positions on God’s Existence

    1730 Words  | 4 Pages

    This paper will try to discuss the three Philosophical Positions on the Existence of God namely, the Theism, Agnosticism, and Atheism. Why do they believe? Why don’t they believe? How do they believe? What made them believe? Who helped them believe? These are just some of the questions that this paper will try to give answers and supply both believers and non-believers the enough indication that whatever their position may be, the responsibility in their hands of whatever reason they have must be valid and intellectual.

    Read More

  • Panopticisim and the Social Institution of Religion: Personal Opinion

    941 Words  | 2 Pages

    Religion can be described as a social institution built up around the idea of a supernatural being or beings, and the relation of human beings to them. In addition, religion provides individuals a belief to which they understand their existence as well network of emotional support during times of distress. Moreover, religious institutions provide individuals a proper perspective of life and establish values. Religion involves three major aspects: A conception of the nature and character of divinity (2) A set of principles concerning the duties and obligations between divinity and humanity. (3) A set of behavior patterns designed to conform to God’s will (Thorman, 154). The theme of panopticisim is to assert and maintain power by being unseen. In Christianity, God, unable to be to seen, is a supernatural being with infinite power. In addition, the Holy Bible reaffirms this power and establishes accordance among civilians. The social institution of religion is a form of a panoptic system where individuals are compelled to act accordingly.

    Read More

  • illusive religions: Sigmund Freud's The Future of an Illusion

    1445 Words  | 3 Pages

    Humans desire to have control over the many things which affect them. Being unable to control something, especially something which can cause damage and suffering, instigates feelings of helplessness and fear but also a strong curiosity to understand what super power is behind this uncontainable and unpredictable force. To repress these feeling of powerlessness, civilization humanized the force of nature and at the same time, reintroduced it as manipulable, by establishing religious ideas. Not only did religion dismiss the threatening wickedness of nature but it also protected against Fate and atoned for the suffering endured on Earth. It has been surmised that without the conviction that a powerful, benevolent being is offering protection, people would find life unbearable. Interestingly, Freud connects this strong desire for protection to a child’s vulnerability and dependence, calling this concept the father-complex. He uses psychological analysis and reasoning to explain a knowledgeable and very believable reason for why religion was created in the first place. Religion was structured in response to adults “longing for a father... and their ...

    Read More

More about Why God Doesn't Exist: An Atheist's Argument

Open Document