Full Description
Atheism Considered is a systematic presentation of challenges to the existence of a higher power. Rather than engage in polemic against a religious worldview, C.M. Lorkowski charitably refutes the classical arguments for the existence of god, pointing out flaws in their underlying reasoning and highlighting difficulties inherent to revealed sources. In place of a theistic worldview, he argues for adopting a naturalistic one, highlighting naturalism's capacity to explain world phenomena and contribute to the sciences. Lorkowski demonstrates that replacing theism with naturalism, contra popular assumptions, sacrifices nothing in terms of ethics or meaning. Instead, morality ultimately proves more important than religion and does not rely on it. Appropriate for classroom use, this book is meant to cultivate understanding, tolerance, and fruitful dialogue between believers and nonbelievers.
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction and Overview.- Chapter 2: Of the Philosophy of Religion and Its Methodology.- Chapter 3: Atheism and Atheists.- Chapter 4: The Burden of Proof.- Chapter 5: Theology and Reason.- Chapter 6: Ontological Arguments.- Chapter 7: Cosmological Arguments.- Chapter 8: Design Arguments.- Chapter 9: Conclusions Regarding Existential Natural Theology.- Chapter 10: The Concept(s) of God.- Chapter 11: The Problems of Evil- Logical, Evidential, and Moral.- Chapter 12: The Character of Revelation.- Chapter 13: Challenges to Sacred Texts.- Chapter 14: Challenges to Miracles.- Chapter 15: Challenges to Religious Experience.- Chapter 16: Moral Critiques to Religion.- Chapter 17: Personal Survival and the Afterlife.- Chapter 18: The Case against Christianity.- Chapter 19: Naturalism in the Sciences.- Chapter 20: A Soulless World.- Chapter 21 The Naturalization of Religion.- Chapter 22: The Loss of Though Shalt.- Chapter 23: Excising God from Value.- Chapter 24: Concluding Thoughts.
