Response to On Being An Atheist by H. J. McCloskey

McCloskey in his article, On Being An Atheist claims that proofs or arguments which theists provide to support their belief â€Å"have no weight†. He speaks of this primarily in relation to the ontological argument, the argument which attempts to show that the very concept of God implies his reality. McCloskey believes that there is no point in debating on this particular proof because it has no bearing but the ontological argument serves as the very foundation for other arguments which supports and defends God’s existence. If not for the purpose of proving His existence, the ontological argument is still necessary because it distinguishes the characteristics of God whom we are defending. The first rule of philosophical discourse is clarity†¦show more content†¦Evolution is the development of life and aims to answer how diversity is possible here on earth. It provides scientific reasons on why we see similarities amongst creatures under the same species but i s has in no way stated that God does not exist because of this. So it is very wrong to assume that the evolution contradicts design actually it further supports design. Evolution believes that inside every living creature lies a genetic code, DNA structure which contains the genetic make-up of things. This has been passed on from one generation to another and can only be altered on extreme conditions which entail survival. Does he not see design in this process? Does he not see the design towards perfection within the DNA structure of creatures? But of course, these are simply assumptions if I am to accept evolution but in as much as I have not accepted evolution; the scientific community has also rejected this because it lacks sufficient evidence. McCloskey argues that the Teleological Argument lacks evidence but there is a wide array of undisputable evidence to prove the Teleological argument. The body structure of man is a perfect example of design. Can you think of any better place for the nose to be located? It would be very awful if accidentally found its place underneath our armpit. How about the eyes? It would be aShow MoreRelatedMccloskey Responses1660 Words   |  7 Pagessponse Response Paper Stephanie Brockman PHIL 201 McCloskey Responses Introduction H. J. McCloskey gets most of his strong statements against the belief by asking the atheist to provide sufficient proof that God exists. However, McCloskey is not the only person who is unsure and asks questions God’s existence based on personal beliefs or influence. From the beginning many people have had questions about God and his existence. He wrote numerous books on atheism between 1960 and 1980 includingRead MoreResponse Paper Instructions1075 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Response Paper Instructions Having completed the unit of philosophy of religion, you are now ready to respond to an article written by an actual atheist. This article titled â€Å"On Being an Atheist,† was written by H. J. McCloskey in 1968 for the journal Question. McCloskey is an Australian philosopher who wrote a number of atheistic works in the 1960s and 70s including the book God and Evil (Nijhoff, 1974). In this article, McCloskey is both critical of the classical arguments for God’s existenceRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article On Being An Atheist By H. J. Gilman1664 Words   |  7 PagesIn the article, â€Å"On Being an Atheist† by H. J. McCloskey’s, he makes several arguments as â€Å"proof† of God’s non-existence to support his atheism. He attacks arguments made by advocates on the existence of God. The arguments argued by Theist are not arguments for proof of God’s existence but are arguments for definitive beliefs of God’s existence. Any argum ent on proving the Almighty God’s existence is unsatisfactory. The Theist does not attempt to offer â€Å"proof† of God’s existence but rather offerRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article On Being An Atheist 1794 Words   |  8 PagesH. J. McCloskey wrote the article â€Å"On Being an Atheist† in 1968 giving his reasons for rejecting God. He attempts to define God all while dismissing Him at the same time. He focuses on one of the most difficult things to explain in general which is evil and suffering in the world, yet we claim to have a perfect, and loving God. Though McCloskey desires proof and critiques the cosmological and teleological arguments against Gods existence, the most reasonable explanation for the universe itself isRead MoreExistence of God Argumentative Paper2119 Words   |  9 Pages McCloskey There are many different types of arguments for the existence of God. With each argument there is a conception presented of God. For each argument there are different approaches. I will be focusing on the Cosmological and Teleological Arguments. Teleological Arguments are known to be arguments from divine, arguing from order in the universe to the existence of God (1).With the ordering of the universe, created by an intelligent being, they hold that it isRead MoreA Brief Article On Being An Atheist1922 Words   |  8 PagesResponse Paper on H.J. McCloskey article On being an atheist Name Course Date During the year 1968, an atheist philosopher H.J. McCloskey came up with a powerful argument about how being an atheist was greater than the theistic way of life. Through this article, McCloskey finds a way to condemn numerous arguments which theist consider as true and in most cases seem to mock and impeach the believers of God. Some of the arguments that McCloskey tries to diminish are the three mutual proofs thatRead MoreResponse Paper Mccloskey Article (278.205 Kb)2221 Words   |  9 PagesResponse Paper McCloskey Article (278.205 Kb) Having completed the unit of philosophy of religion, you are now ready to respond to an article written by an actual atheist.   This article, titled â€Å"On Being an Atheist,† was written by H. J. McCloskey in 1968 for the journal Question.   McCloskey is an Australian philosopher who wrote a number of atheistic works in the 1960s and 70s including the book God and Evil (Nijhoff, 1974). In this article, McCloskey is both critical of the classical argumentsRead MoreMccloskey Response Paper2064 Words   |  9 Pages In his article, On Being an Atheist, H.J. McCloskey tried to show that atheism is a more reasonable and comfortable belief than that of Christianity.    McCloskey argued against the three theistic proofs, which are the cosmological argument, the teleological argument and the argument from design.    He pointed out the existence of evil in the world that God made.    He also pointed out that it is irrational to live by faith. According to McCloskey, proofs do not necessarily play a vital role in the